What to call the Washington Redskins

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, left, jokes around with defensive backfield coach Raheem Morris after an NFL football practice at Redskins Park on Wednesday in Ashburn, Va. (Evan Vucci, The Associated Press)

With all the pressure on the Washington football franchise to drop the name Redskins, there has not been much discussion about a new name. It’s always nice if a team name is reflective of the city represented, such as the Milwaukee Brewers. If the team were named for one of the principal Washington occupations, they could be the Lobbyists, the Bureaucrats, or simply the Hacks, for the politicians. If an animal name is preferred, they could be the Weasels, the Sloths, the Jellyfish, or my favorite, the Bloodsuckers. Or the team could be named for a useful product produced by Washington, D.C. … well, never mind.

Richard Keene, Englewood

This letter was published in the June 5 edition.

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How about renaming the team the 700 Nanometer Anthroderms?
Or, keep the Redskins name, and add the word “Peanuts”? They could form a merchandising agreement with the company that owns the Mr. Peanut trademark.
Or, in keeping with Mr. Keene’s theme, the Foggy Bottoms? Slogan: “We don’t have a clue”

toohip

“Redskin Peanuts” . . love it! There are too many suggestive names when we go this route!

toohip

Politicians. . . the proverbial punching bags of the public. maybe that what we should call them? No group suffers more attacks.. . albeit, appropriately, then the Washington Politicians. Makes you wonder why anyone would want to be a politician in Washington, but as they say “follow the $”. . it’s just a path.

primafacie

I’m more concerned by Robert Griffin’s bright white support hose in that photo.

peterpi

???
Don’t NFL players wear stockings?

eddie47

Circulation problems in the legs is a possibility.

guesswhdrews

The Washington losers sounds about right to me in so many ways.

peterpi

That’s Losers, buster, and smile when you say it 😉

Fedup_withgungrabbers

How about the Redskins continue to stand firm and refuse to change their name? There’s nothing wrong with their name. Why should they be bullied by this absurd out-of-control political correctness that is taking over our society?

eddie47

I doubt if there is one Indian on the team so why should they claim such? Nothing wrong with their name? Its not Warrior or Braves which is more positive treatment of Indian culture. Redskins is insulting to say the least that is what is wrong and they can come up with much better.

peterpi

They could consult any members of any Indian tribe originally native to the area, if they still exist, and come up with a native word easily transliterated into English that connotes strength or agility or speed or fierceness, etc.
That way, they’d keep the Indian connection, without being insulting.

peterpi

Redskin is an insulting term for Indian, and has mostly been used that way.
There are any number of positive terms the Redskins football team could use.
Think about the team names that refer to human groups: Packers? Straightforward. Steelers? Straightforward. Raiders, description of a pirate activity. Vikings, Texans? Straightforward.
The closest to an insult I can think of is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and its fisticuffs ready school mascot/logo, but even then, the University chose that name for themselves. There is NO, as in none, indication that any indigenous tribe referred to themselves as having red skin. That’s the whites’ doing.
Like eddie47 said, Warrior or Brave can connote positive imagery.
Now, all of us commenting don’t really have a say as long as the Redskins’ owner is perfectly happy with the name. None of us has an extra Billion or two billion dollars sitting in petty cash, but we can still express our displeasure.

Fedup_withgungrabbers

The team has used the name Redskins for decades and it was never an issue until very recently. What’s changed? Now all of a sudden the politically correct among us have decided its their job to raise a ruckus over every non-issue (like the names of sports teams) and start dictating to everyone else what should be “appropriate” names. I find that offensive and insulting. Haven’t they got better things to do?

eddie47

We find you insulting and disturbing. You were probably using the N word back then too and calling it good. Its not an all of a sudden thing …sometimes a nation finally grows up.

guesswhdrews

We?? Have you got a mouse in your pocket?

eddie47

Yes! Do you have a turd in your pants?

holyreality

What if their name was the Kikes?
The mascot would be a western Asian Askanazim Jew with a big hooked nose clenching a wad of cash so hard it bleeds.
The team could claim it honors the heritage and skill in managing money of the eurasian Jew.

How about the Spearchuckers? Or the Queers?

Your victimhood from something that has nothing to do with you is indeed pathetic, you use political correctness to be politically victimized and that holds about as much water as the war on Happy Holidays.

Fedup_withgungrabbers

It’s the war on “Merry Christmas,” you dumb s**t. The name Redskins does not even compare with the over-the-top insulting slurs you came up with, so why even bother with that strawman argument? There’s nothing inherently offensive about the name Redskins. It just happens not to be the type of name the politically correct control freaks are happy with.

eddie47

Hey I got it replace the name with The Tommy Guns and Fed Up will be all on board! The Cheerleaders could all carry automatic weapons to please Fed Up. Now that would be politically correct for the NRA and Fed Up would be tinkled pink. Win Win! Are you still calling the Vietnamese Gooks too?

Fedup_withgungrabbers

No, I’m for keeping the name the same. Redskins is a good name and it has the added bonus of getting the overly sensitive, politically correct language police all riled up.

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